Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-22
NEW SOUTH AND NORTH.
Why she Eagle on the Dollar Perches
and Screeches Over the South.
ern Hills and Wales.
Reasons for the Boom That is Abroad in
tn Land-A Comparison of Values
North and South.
Cincinnati Enquirer,.


state. Major Betman is a contractor and
a man Of varied experience and general
success as 4 railroad builder. He has
been interested in railroad building in the
northwest, and recently came south TO
bid upon railroad work in Alabama, be-
ing attracted by the signs of prosperity
in that section. He mas a contract for
building about forty miles Of railroad
from ADMISSION to Gadsden on the
CoCsa river. This is 2n impoC ant link
in g railroad from the Tennessee
river IL the Guf OF Mexico, w@iCh hes
been projected and talked of in Eastern
Alabama for many years, reaching back
before the War. This link will be dOre
inside Of year, it is claimed, and It's
completion Tiu hasten the completion Of
other short links, which Will give Cincin-
natl q new and shorter line to tie Sec
board By connection with the Queen and
Crescent route at G4dsden. Major Bet
man is one Of that sample of New York
er5 YOU often meet, Of the Puritan Dutch
class, practical and so skeptiCal that he
doesn't believe in anything he can't feel
ard count.
''What do you think Of the tidal wave
of prosperity that is now sweeping over
the south" l asked him.
"What 60 | think Of it," he replied.
81 think il is marvellous. Like most men
in the north VINO had brains and capital
to let ana eGger for occupation l viewed
the south with prejudice, and came here
with many miSgiVIngs. Once here the
advantages | saw on every side surprised
and dumbfounded me, and the cordial
manner OF the people and their cagerness
to hive northern men come among them
to help them develop the country pleased
me. The south has passed into new at
mOspheyc, and the eagle on the dollar,
always timld, has found it both safe and
profitable to fly hitherWard and settle"
"YUu believe the boom has come to
stay, Them"
81 do. believe it so much that have
invested heavily at both Admission and
G8dsden, and believe both of them are
bOuad TO be great manufacturing towns.
| did not come here to invest. l came
here to make some money in building
railroads, and in going over the ground
the natural advantages and wonder
full riches Of the country convinced
me that I could not plant money
more adVantageously anywhere, than in
Alabama, and have dipped in. There is
crest Interest in New York over this
country, and l have been pumped dry by
business men and capitalists while at
home. who have called on me for infor-
nation. These never used to pay any
attention 10 the south. The very fact
that they are willing 10 ask questions
about the south is q good and hopeful
sign. 1t shows that there is new north
looking toward the new south"
~ - D. rNIsA
foundation, then, and has come to stay?''
ayes, it has solid basis, and has come
TO say. II is founded on coal and iron.
There are two reasons for the advance in
prices n the south. First, northern CAPT
tai is no longer timid and they 60 about
seeking investment in the south, and,
secondly, The building Of railroads ia
everq direction is opening up the most
remarkable mineral veal b in the United
States, II nos in the world. Lands that
have been practically valueless because
they were inaccessible, and which have
been selling for 81 and 50 an acre,
have advanced q hundred fold in value,
and being opened to 6 market and the
Wor!d, they must continue to advance in
value according to the natural wealth
they contain until they approximate their
real value. Compare the returns of real
and personal property for taxation in the
northern states with those in the southern
states, and you Will be surprised at the
wide difference. With many advantages
on the side of the south, the property is
worth q hundred fold more. This WAS
occasioned by the impOVeTishment of the
war and for other reasons | have NEIL
toned"
A CONTRAST OF VALUES
Following up Major Betman's sugges-
ticD, the following comparison was sought
out. l. is based on the census of 1880,
ard it is assumed that all the property
belongs to the whites. This is not so
now, and if it were possible to get the
accurate values of property N the south
for last year it would make much more
favorable showing for the south:
The six New England states have
white population of 3,968,7S9, and an
assessed valuation of real and personal
property OF $2,65l, 555,862
The six Middle states Counting Mary
land and the District of Columbia as
two: white population, I1,267,914; as
Sessed valuation. So, 564 SIS, 488.
The thirteen southern states missouri
not lncluded): white population, 1892
Sos; assessed valuation, 50, $40, 923, 1863.
We have, then, for every white person
in the New England states, S668; in the
middle states, S+94, and in the southern
states, S247. That is, the people of the
New England states have more than two
and half times, and those of the middle
states exactly twice, the peCuniary ability
OF the southern people.
The following additional comparisons
are given:
The stste of New York (including the
city exceeds by S26I, 0l7,737 the as
sessed valuation of the thirteen southern
states.
Pennsylvania has an assessed valuation
more than two-thirds that of the south
ern states, and more than five times that
Of Virginia.
Massachusetts exceeds by 1866, 900, $50
the assessed valuation of Virginia, Ken
lucky, Georgia and Texas. 1t has twenty
six times as much property to the square
mile as Virginia.
Connections, less than one-eighth the
area of Virginia, more than equals that
state In wealth.
Rhode Island, one forty seventh of
Georgia, more than equals that stste in
EUaalth